In Photos: Exploring the Mysterious Plain of Jars Site

Longstanding mystery

(Image credit: ANU)

The mysterious Plain of Jars is an archaeological site in central Laos that has thousands of stone vessels scattered across the ground. Archaeologists have also found many of these jars in forested and mountainous regions of Laos. They have long tried to figure out why the stone jars were littered across this remote part of Laos.

Strange sight

An aerial drone photograph of "Jar Site 1" in the Plain of Jars, located near Phonsavan in central Laos.

Uncovering the unknown

(Image credit: ANU)

The archaeologists from Laos and Australia spent four weeks in February 2016 mapping and excavating the ground around a group of the massive carved stone jars that dot the landscape at Jar Site 1.

Ancient burial practices

(Image credit: ANU)

Jar Site 1 is the best known of more than 85 ancient jar sites in the remote hills and valleys of the Xieng Khouang plateau in Laos.

The area was heavily bombed by American warplanes during the Vietnam War and only seven jar sites, including Site 1, have been cleared of undetonated bombs.

View from above

(Image credit: ANU)

An aerial drone photograph of stone jars and marker stones at Jar Site 1.

Expert eyes

(Image credit: Dougald O'Reilly, ANU)

Thonglith Luangkhoth, an archaeologist in Laos, inspects the primary burial site discovered at Jar Site 1.

Looking toward heaven

(Image credit: Dougald O'Reilly, ANU)

This is a view of the primary burial site discovered at Jar Site 1. The quartz-rich stone is aligned so the skull appears to look out through the hole.

Unique memorials?

(Image credit: Dougald O'Reilly, ANU)

The Jar Site 1 site, photographed from one of the excavation trenches.

Teamwork

(Image credit: Dougald O'Reilly, ANU)

Thonglith Luangkhoth (left) and Dougald O’Reilly (far right) excavating a secondary burial site. O'Reilly led a team of scientists on the joint Laos-Australian expedition to the Plain of Jars.

Burial jars

(Image credit: Dougald O'Reilly, ANU)

The researchers also uncovered 11 ceramic jars, which are expected to contain "secondary" burials of human bones from which the flesh was removed.Here, archaeologists at Jar Site 1 record details of the ceramic secondary burial jars.

Exploring an ancient civilization

(Image credit: Dougald O'Reilly, ANU)

Dougald O'Reilly, an archaeologist at the Australian National University, at Jar Site 1 in February 2016.